1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) devices, and more particularly to IC device design.
2. Related Art
A process of designing an IC device comprises multiple steps. Building blocks of the IC device under design are typically represented by parameterized cells (PCells). During a schematic (netlist) stage, the PCell is a symbolic representation of an electrical characteristic. During a layout stage, a user application generates a request to evaluate the PCell by passing parameter values and identity of the PCell desired. The request results in a generation of an instantiation of a physical, fixed structure of the PCell. This structure is referred to as design data and is compatible with an electronic design automation (EDA) vendor's database.
Due to the proprietary nature of a vendor's database and programming language, an IC design becomes locked into a particular vendor's tool chain. For example, a designer is unable to use a schematic application from one vendor and a layout application from a different vendor. Although at least one EDA vendor has standardized its database into a non-proprietary format, its programming language remains proprietary. Thus, intellectual property of the user's IC design becomes programmed into a particular vendor's programming language.
During the layout stage, the design data is stored in memory. When the layout is saved to disk, for all the PCell instantiations created, only the parameter values and a reference to the PCell are saved. The design data (i.e., geometries) generated by the PCell instantiations are destroyed. When the layout is opened again, the geometries need to be recreated. Disadvantageously, this process can take a substantial amount of time.
As a further disadvantage, delivering the IC design to a third party comprises delivering scripts for original PCells, into which the user's intellectual property has been programmed. The delivery of the scripts is necessary also for the third party, such as a foundry, which need only validate the IC design and not modify it. Additionally, the third party still requires a license to the EDA vendor's tool in order to open the layout and recreate the geometries.
As additional and more sophisticated EDA tools become available, there is a need for improved systems and methods for designing integrated circuits in terms of increased standardization, improved cross-vendor portability and intellectual property protection, and reduced computational resources required to recompute geometries.